Training & Nutrition - Best way to get electrolytes during a ride?

I've just been putting some NoSalt in my home made drink mixes (three or four dashes), but I'm not sure if I'm getting enough electrolytes (or the right kind, etc. Basically, I have no idea about electrolytes in my diet). What is the best way to ensure I'm getting them, especially on rides, on a college budget?

I've just been putting some NoSalt in my home made drink mixes (three or four dashes), but I'm not sure if I'm getting enough electrolytes (or the right kind, etc. Basically, I have no idea about electrolytes in my diet). What is the best way to ensure I'm getting them, especially on rides, on a college budget?

I think the best, fail-safe way to get the right balance of electrolytes is to use Endurolytes from Hammer. Since I started using them I have had zero problems w/cramping. I'm still trying to dial in the right amount to use, but I think 1-2 at the most, per hour on the bike, seems about right for me.

If you need a referral let me know, I can give you my number and you will get a 15 percent discount.

Colleen

I also use Endurolytes. But I also use Hawaiian Sea Salt, the reddish color sea salt, baked Hawaiian red clay.

I think it depends on the length of the ride and the weather conditions, hot and humid days make for lots of fluid loss thru sweat. Sometimes I sweat a lot and the wet skin comes in contact with the wind causing the sweat to dry up leaving white salt marks on the skin and clothing.

If you check the contents of electrolytes, you'll find minerals like sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chlorine. You will also find these minerals in raw green leafy vegetables like spinach, broccoli, mustard greens, bok choy. That's why I normally throw in a few pieces of green leafy vegetables into my smoothie.

I know you're asking about how to replenish during the ride, but its also important to keep the balance before the ride and then quickly after the ride.

Bananas. chips. salty nuts.

In your regular diet you are almost cetainly getting enough electrolytes, unless you are on a very low sodium diet.

On your rides, if you are doing really long & hard rides and/or it's really hot and you get salt marks - on your shorts, jersey, face - where you sweat, then you might need a supplement - and I agree the Hammer Endurolytes work. but they are expensive!

If you can eat regular food on your rides, a package of chips from a c-store works great. I find at about mile 85 a pack of doritos and a coke are a great way to keep going strong.

My friend swears by Tums as an instant cramp cure, haven't tried it yet b/c I rarely cramp.

I save Endurolytes for days when it's extremely hot. Normally I just use a sports drink with plenty of sodium and I'm fine. Speaking of low-budget, Powerbar Endurance is on sale for $8-10 for a 52 serving container at Nashbar and other retailers!

I save Endurolytes for days when it's extremely hot. Normally I just use a sports drink with plenty of sodium and I'm fine. Speaking of low-budget, Powerbar Endurance is on sale for $8-10 for a 52 serving container at Nashbar and other retailers!

me too. :D later.

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In your regular diet you are almost cetainly getting enough electrolytes, unless you are on a very low sodium diet.

On your rides, if you are doing really long & hard rides and/or it's really hot and you get salt marks - on your shorts, jersey, face - where you sweat, then you might need a supplement -

+1

First, the two main electrolytes are sodium and potassium. There are several other minerals in the electrolyte category too, but those are the two big ones.

I get mine from sources like:
-- electrolyte tablets for hot days and long rides.
-- President's Choice Power Quencher singles.
-- salted almonds, bananas, dried apricots, potato chips, beef jerky, and 100% pure orange juice.

On your rides, if you are doing really long & hard rides and/or it's really hot and you get salt marks - on your shorts, jersey, face - where you sweat, then you might need a supplement


This happens to be quite frequently ... even in the middle of winter.

How long are you riding? I don't worry about electrolytes and don't have any problems on 3-4 hr rides. If you aren't getting cramps I wouldn't worry about it unless you feel sorry for companies charging exorbitant rates for basic minerals like sodium & potassium.

I've just been putting some NoSalt in my home made drink mixes (three or four dashes), but I'm not sure if I'm getting enough electrolytes (or the right kind, etc. Basically, I have no idea about electrolytes in my diet). What is the best way to ensure I'm getting them, especially on rides, on a college budget?

There are lots of factors that influence this.

* How balanced your diet is and how much salt you are eating.
* How salty your sweat is (some people are salty sweaters (I am))
* How much you work out in heat / how much you sweat (over time, you body will conserve salt).
* How long your ride is.

If you are eating a balanced diet, you will likely be fine on all electrolytes except for salt. You have relatively small reserves of sodium in your body, and you can easily sweat 500mg to 1000mg of salt per liter of sweat. So, there are cases where you may need supplements.

My advice:

If you are doing your own drink, take a look at some of the drinks that are out there, and try to get close to that. Accelerade is 190mg of sodium and 65mg of potassium, and those are pretty good levels - if you try going above that it gets pretty bad tasting. You can use the NoSalt for the potassium, but you want some real salt in there. Don't be afraid of salt - only a small percentage (10% (ish)) of the population is salt sensitive and needs to be careful not to push up their blood pressure by using too much. For the rest of the population, it's not an issue.

For riding, if you have a drink with about that much salt, you will generally be okay on rides of 4 hours unless you are sweating an awful lot or are a salty sweater. Once you get above that length (or at a high intensity), you may want to consider a salt supplement. Endurolytes are a poor choice for this - you can't take enough to get sufficient salt without getting too much of some of the other electrolytes. They're also really pricey for what you get.

I carry Succeed S!caps (I think) which are about 400mg of salt per capsule, and will use 1 (or perhaps 2) per hour on long hot rides (> 5 hours). Here are some of the other choices: http://www.personalbestnutrition.com/cgi-bin/pbn/scan/st=db/se=Salt%20Tablets/sf=category/tf=title/sp=results2.html

Other riders carry salty food. If you want to do that, one of my favorites is beef jerky. It's easy to eat on the bike, you can find it all over the place, and it has about 1000mg of salt per serving.

I’ve been using Elete Water this year. It’s easy to care, very small bottle in my jersey pocket. It’s a liquid and I just add it to my water bottles along with my drink mix, it has no taste.

Basically, I have no idea about electrolytes in my diet). What is the best way to ensure I'm getting them, especially on rides, on a college budget?What - are you implying that you've been admitted to a college as a student? Or do you mean that you have millions of dollars budgeted to an accredited university at your disposal?

In either case, you might want to share with this gentle reader as to why you suspect that your "electrolyte needs" are not being met by conventional methodology - namely eating.

Perhaps someone at your university, [or the one - you imply you attend] will budget some time to straighten these matters out. Meanwhile, salting food to taste, has been shown to work in the past, although it has fallen out of favor in modern times due to the prevalent usage of sodium during the processing of packaged food stuffs.

+1 for Elete water. I use this on pretty much every ride over 2 hours. Also a regular V8 has tons of sodium and potassium.

What - are you implying that you've been admitted to a college as a student? Or do you mean that you have millions of dollars budgeted to an accredited university at your disposal?

In either case, you might want to share with this gentle reader as to why you suspect that your "electrolyte needs" are not being met by conventional methodology - namely eating.

Perhaps someone at your university, [or the one - you imply you attend] will budget some time to straighten these matters out. Meanwhile, salting food to taste, has been shown to work in the past, although it has fallen out of favor in modern times due to the prevalent usage of sodium during the processing of packaged food stuffs.

College student.

I'm sure I get enough electrolytes when I'm not riding, but I do have pretty salty sweat and want to make sure I have/retain enough during 3+ hour rides.

Bring a bag of Baked Lays with you to eat on the bike. Lots of sodium and potassium, 30g of carbs, very low fat. Works PERFECT for me. :)

Another vote for Endurolytes. Depends on length of ride, because need for electrolytes depends on amount of fluid consumed. If you ride for 6 hours, you're going to be adding at least 60 oz. of water to your diet, and you'll need to add electrolytes to keep your body fully functional. I usually don't take anything on a 3 hour ride unless it's really hot. Same thing - more water = more electrolytes.

If you think you don't seem to be drinking enough on a long ride, you need to take electrolytes.